The Werewolf and The Lioness
by toomanyfandoms98
Summary: What if Remus had lived and Tonks had died. What if Ron and Hermione hadn't lasted. Will our two favourite bookworms finally find happiness.


**A/N-** **Written for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments); the Insane House Challenge 63** **. Pairing - Hermione/Remus;** **the 365 Prompts Challenge 194.** **Location - The Three Broomsticks** **; for Daily Prompt-Remus; and the Fanfiction Resolution Challenge 36. "What if Remus had lived.**

Remus was trying to pay attention to what his son was saying, he really was, but from the moment Teddy and he entered the Three Broomsticks and he spotted a wily mane of caramel coloured hair that could only belong to one-highly distracting witch, Remus knew he was a lost cause. She was sitting on the opposite side of the pub from them and was facing the other way, not that she would have noticed them anyway as she was busy reading a monstrously sized book. After he caught himself staring at her hair and imagining what it would feel like to run his hands through it, he turned so he couldn't see her anymore. He already felt like a lecherous old man whenever he thought of her, he didn't need to add being a lousy father to the list as well.

It had been five years since the famed "Battle of Hogwarts" and so much had happened. Funerals for all of the fallen, Order of Merlin medals were awarded, the Ministry had been stripped bare and improved, Hogwarts was rebuilt, Gala's and ceremonies were held in honour of everyone who fought in both wars, a monument was even placed in Hogsmede with a list of every witch, wizard, goblin, elf and other assorted 'beings' that had given their lives in an effort to rid the world of Voldemort. And that was only the first two years. Thankfully the craziness had died down and only reappeared yearly on the anniversary of Voldemort's final defeat, when the Ministry holds a Ball that Remus as a 'War Hero' was forced to attend. Despite being considered a war hero however he was a rather minor one, according to the Prophet, which is something Remus is still grateful about because it meant he could raise his son in relative peace. Being a single parent was hard enough without all of Wizarding Britain weighing in on your parenting decisions. Remus would also be eternally in Andromeda's debt for the way she stepped up for Teddy and he in the wake of Tonks' death. Both adults had heavily leaned on each other in order to get through the devastating loss of their wife and daughter.

Despite the fact that he wasn't facing her at all, Remus was acutely aware of every movement she made. _'Sirius was right when he said that my heightened senses would get me in trouble with a witch one day'_ , Remus mused, although he doubted his old friend would've ever even considered the idea of Remus lusting after a witch who was almost two decades younger then him. Remus knew that it was beyond inappropriate, but nothing he did could distract himself from thinking of her for long.

The past five years had changed Hermione. Not drastically so, she was still the same rule abiding woman with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, but now she had also learned how to open herself up more and be less standoffish. Her short lived romance with Ron meant that after they, quite amicably, had called it quits she stopped visiting the Burrow for quite a long time. When Remus had seen her at a Weasley Sunday Brunch for the first time in at least a year, he had been instantly drawn to her. She was no longer the over eager thirteen year old he had taught, instead she was a strong, confident woman and she knew it. After finally realising that his feelings for her weren't going to go away, he began to distance himself from her. He hadn't even laid eyes on Hermione in half a year before he'd decided to take Teddy to Hogsmede that day. He tried to convince himself that the reason he was reacting so strongly to simply being in the same room as her, had everything to do with how long it had been, but he knew deep down that the true reason was that he was hopelessly gone on Hermione Granger.

"Dad," cried Teddy while yanking on his sleeve, Remus glanced down at him and his guilt tripled at the look of annoyance on his son's face, "what are you looking at," he questioned. Teddy craned his neck to see and when his eyes lit up in both recognition and glee, Remus knew he was doomed.

"Aunt Mione," Teddy called out suddenly, startling half the patrons including Hermione. She looked up, confusion written across her face which then morphed into a wide grin when she spotted Remus and Teddy as the latter of the two was currently waving her over to join them. Remus felt his heart rate double and his leg started bouncing up and down in nervousness as she collected her things and walked over to join them.

"Fancy seeing you boys here," she greeted them as she took a seat and ruffled Teddy's hair as he virtually vibrated in his chair with excitement.

"Dad wanted a new book and to clean out Honeydukes, " Teddy answered cheekily as he ducked the playful swat from Remus who scowled at him.

"That definitely sounds about right," Hermione laughed affectionately and when her gaze switched to Remus he couldn't help but smile back at her.

All of a sudden every reason he had ever had for why he should stay away from her flew out of his mind, all he wanted was to be around that gorgeous smile as much as possible. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out the very first thing that he thought,

"I know your probably busy, but would you like to come with us."

Hermione's eyes softened in such a way that momentarily stunned him. Was it possible that she felt the same. That the interactions between the two hadn't been as one sided as he thought. He was distracted by his internal debate when her smile doubled and spoke five words in such a way that simultaneously made Remus's heart soar and give him hope,

"I thought you'd never ask."


End file.
